It is exciting to build your first pond. It looks like your actual workmanship is good. The pond is built they way people built them for many years, and many people still build them like that.

My strong advice is to buy Rick Bartel's book The RISE Method. It is available on Amazon for $12.50. You can read the book in about 30 minutes. After reading the book you will be able to criticize you design with your new insight and knowledge.

In my opinion, the goal of a "natural" looking pond should be to look like something you find on a hike through the woods or the mountains. I would say by that definition, the pond is probably not the greatest. If you love it, and it is on your own property then that is what matters. If a customer paid a lot of money for it, they probably could have found another pond contractor that would have created a more aesthetically pleasing pond.

If you read the book, or attend a workshop on building natural water features you will instantly know what I am talking about.

Props for posting and asking for criticism. Hopefully you will gain a lot of knowledge because of it. Good luck!

Thanks venturewest. I have looked at your pond less water fall, very well done. I originally had a pond less water fall in that place that was on the natural slope. It did look more natural. But the rise was quite a bit and it needed a way larger pump to get the flow I would have liked to see and heard. I'm looking for a tree/ bush to go to the left of the water fall to hide the rock wall. To get the pond and waterfall visible from the kitchen, I had to build up that area and it looked offset from the kitchen window. But saying that I had to build up the area and the rock wall that looks out of place.. I have been planting more and more around it to hide the rock wall around it. As well as a cedar deck over top of the sediment tank and pumps and valves. I have yet to get my other pump set up to take the sediment out of the settlement tank and water the trees and plants around the tank. Hopefully by next year I will have my trees filling out and make it look more natural and hide the rock wall..Posted via Mobile Device